FUSION has a new home!

Make yourselves comfortable!

  • Take a look at Chapter One, now on its very own (black and uncluttered) page for your viewing pleasure!
  • Watch the 90-second Trailer, newly remixed using the Actual Fusion Score by the astonishingly talented Gerald Brunskill.
  • Or, if you’re truly pressed for time, watch the 30-second spot.
  • Go Behind the Scenes to learn more about the Fusion universe and our brilliant cast and crew.

Then leave a comment right here!

(The Fusion community forums are still under construction, so stay tuned for those!)

— Richard Manning

62 thoughts on “FUSION has a new home!”

  1. Ricky, I was absolutely blown away by this at Burbank yesterday! As short at it is, I was totally drawn into the story and the characters, and desperately want to know what happens to them! Everyone did a fantastic job! You all reminded me what good storytelling is (alas, we see it so seldom)! I’ll be back to watch again when time allows.

  2. I think it is awesome you were able to have fun, during such a hard time here and put something together that was extremely drawing. It was a pleasure to see it first in Burbank! I have already distributed a buzz to my friends and look forward to a second chapter. You rock!

  3. Very cool! Suspense. Action. Just the right amount of wierd. And a hot blonde. What more could I ask for? Other than a second chapter that is. Really looking forward to more Fusion and watching the website for when all the playground equipment is installed.

    Chris “Mysterious Stranger”
    Ricky Manning Impersonator and Sci-fi Fan

    1. Stefania: Yes, I’ll never forget the weekend we shared (in a morgue and a garage; what could be more heavenly?) and we will Definitely do it again as soon as we possibly can.

      (Everybody: Stefania Koszti did our “corpse makeup” as well as that ‘Whatever It Is on The Doctor Guy’s Face’ in the last “flashback”, and she is Dy-No-Mite! Go peek at more of her work at keymakeupartist.com!

  4. Cool. Ahhh, a mystery wrapped in an enigma tied together with a WTF?. A girl with skills. A good guy that got killed but is alive. A bad guy that got killed but leaves the scene. A girl that supposedly killed herself but obviously did not. Who? What? Where? When? But most of all: WHY? AND: What are they going to do about it?Oh yeah, what’s with that shifty eyeball thing? Hmmmmmmmmm…. Lots of things to ponder.

    BTW – I loved the title design and the music. Excellent.

    Interesting stuff you come up with when they give you idle time Rick. It’s probably not safe for the rest of the world to leave you alone for too long. BTW – When is the next installment?

    1. I love the title design and the music as well. We were insanely lucky to get the help of Steve & Bennique Blazini of BFX Imageworks (they designed our logo and main title as well as doing our mutant-eye CG effect) and Jerry Brunskill of Wow and Flutter Post (he composed and performed that awesome score).

      When are the next installments? As soon as we get enough money to make ’em. (We don’t need a fortune, but when we go forward, people are gonna get paid!)

  5. Hey Ricky – A solid 4 out of 5 stars (you did ask for honest, constructive feedback, right?). It’s pretty plain that this was made on a will-DP-for-food type budget and schedule. Mostly, I imagine there are a number of bits where you’d really rather have had a few more takes to choose from or have polished up the sound looping if only for those pesky little obstacles like time and money. I promise, as soon as I am elected Empress Of Everything or strike it rich, you’ll get all the funding you need.

    But until then, how utterly cool that folks like you don’t let those pesky time and money obstacles stand in the way of Ooh-I-so-need-to-squeeze-this-idea-out-of-the-birth-canal-in-one-form-or-another. The score absolutely rocks. Where do I buy the soundtrack? In true Froon fashion the story hits the ground running (metaphorically, not just literally), delivers a rich plot with enough intrigue to leave us itching, twitching, begging for the next chapter to reveal more of the mystery even though we know you’ll be providing more new questions than answers. Kind of like this really nifty, Aussie SciFi show that used to mess with people’s minds and inspire large, online, group therapy sessions.

    (Me)
    “Hi. I’m Mary W. and I’m a Froonaholic.”

    (Group)
    “Hi Mary. Thanks for comin…”
    “Ahhh! My brain! Are they zombies?!? Mutants?!? Aliens?!?”
    “What do you think that weird eye thing was?!?”
    “I don’t know, what’s your theory?!?”
    “Shut up – don’t interrupt me- I’m busy writing an R-rated ‘ship fic about it!!!…”
    “Hey, does the LAX Marriott have a decent bar?!?”

    – JoJerome/Mary Wood

    1. Oh, you bet, we sure could’ve used more time and more money — but hey, that’s always the case, even on shows with actual budgets; no matter how spiffy it turns out, still we lament “Yeah, and with one more day of shooting, one more day in post, one more polish on the script…” Oddly, or perhaps not so oddly, I’ve done relatively little of that lamenting regarding Fusion, because going into it, I knew it was gonna be all-volunteer, kindness-of-strangers guerrilla filmmaking, so I was expecting a LOT less than what my wonderful volunteers all delivered. A WHOLE lot less.

      The score is indeed utterly terrific and I couldn’t be happier with it. Jerry Brunskill did an amazing job. Hm, I wonder if he’d be amenable to putting it out on CD or making it downloadable or something; it deserves to be heard on its own, because (like all fine film scores) it’s got subtleties galore that get lost in the mix when the FX and dialog are piled on.

      Example: during the voiceovers at the end, right under Chris’s “I don’t dare reveal it” and Julianna’s “It mustn’t be discovered”, there’s a way cool four-note low-register-piano figure that beautifully downshifts keys into the Big Grand Tag Reveal Theme Build… but alas, the silly voiceovers bury it entirely. (Ah, but you can hear it it in the remixed 90-second trailer, near the end, right after Rocco says “Makes two of us.”)

  6. Stefania – The corpse/doctor-guy makeup also rocked. That and the score had me questioning just how low the budget could have been given the quality. Again, see above re; the coolness of artists who create for the love of the art. Fantastic job!

    – JoJerome/Mary Wood

  7. Hi Froon,

    Good seeing you at Burbank and great seeing Fusion. It has an interesting premise. (Premises? It could go many ways.) But thanks for opening the temple to the unwashed barbarian hordes.

    I’m thinking. (Bad sign.)

    Bob Hutchinson
    AKA UCSBdad AKA DadWithBeer AKA DancesWithVorlags AKA Don Vorleone

    1. It could go many ways, and it most likely will! The idea was to start (relatively) simple and then mess it all up from there, kind of like that Aussie show I worked on.

      Keep thinking!

  8. Wow. I’m completely hooked!!!

    Takes real genius to make me care about the characters, wonder about about the plot, and want more – lots more – in such a few moments. Amazing job, efficient story telling. Now I remember what spoiled me for most tv shows: I love your storytelling style!

    T’was wonderful to see you this weekend.

    We’ve all been raving about how much we loved the trailer. Like everyone else – I want more!

  9. Thought the music was intrusive, and the dialogue very clunky at times. Psychic detective very derivative. Monster plot interesting twist but not fully realized in this webisode.

  10. ummm, you cant just give me chapter 1!!! I want the DVD where can I see the whole thing? Loved it! You are leaving me tortured! more more more!

  11. wow.

    saw this at burbank and really liked it. liked it even more as i watched it again here. great chemistry between the two leads, loved the setting and the concept, and the dialogue is crisp and sharp.

    i can see writing fanfic for this.

    so i’ll be waiting to see chapter 2 and/or some character bios and backstory. 🙂

    1. Thanks so much! I agree: Chris & Jules spark. Doubly impressive given that we shot this in a looooooong weekend during which we beat the heck out of both of ‘em. (Stunt doubles? Not on THIS budget.)

      Chapter 2 is a little ways off yet, but character bios/backstory are now Here! Enjoy.

  12. Really liked it,Ricky…has me intrigued and wanting more, based just on the few minutes in Chapter One.

    Hope to see more soon.

    Best wishes,
    Pam & Shirley
    The Proud Aussie Owners of Cheryl’s Farscape Art.

  13. Is it just coz I’m a limey Polack (Polka, actually) that I find the rushed credits rather tragic? The actors get their air-time; you guys deserve more than a nanosecond of recognition, surely?

    Slick writing ’Froon. So my kind of weird.

    I liked the episode’s book-ended voice-overs. Neat. Smooth. Intriguing.

    During intro, wondered if a more subjective (steady-cam?) POV of the two main protagonists would have been less visually plain with…oh, I dunno…a close-up of a body part switching to the equivalent on the other…and panning out from there? Just something to make the switch from each character to the other less straightforward and more fused somehow…yet clearly differentiating between the two. Jumping from one to the other in such a simple way was just a little too clunky, at least for my taste.

    Lighting on male lead in mortuary a little flat? Noticed female got the ‘kind’ lights…

    Love the Dutch tilt thing.

    Could we have more internal emoting in our leads eyes/facial expression? Bit wooden, me thinks. Early days, I guess…might be a reason for that…? Girl’s got her acting chops…

    Soundtrack merges and supports…you know the right people…:wink:

    I wanna watch the next episode. This from a fussy viewer.
    (Never would’a guessed, would ya? 😀 ) A credible launch, y’all!

    Looking forward to reading who’s who on the production team…

    1. I utterly agree about rushed credits, but then I’m one of those geeks who sits in a theater until the very last credit rolls and the lights come up. It was suggested to me that even our little 35-second credit sequence was a tad long for a 12-minute production, that nobody cares about credits anyway so why even bother… so I’m glad to see that at least ONE viewer does care about credits. I designed ‘em to move fast but at least be big & legible… plus, given that this thing’s on the web, one can always rewatch/freeze if one wants.

      I even considered putting the tag (Rocco’s return to the garage) AFTER the end credits, the better to reward those who sat still for 35 seconds… but the tag worked better where it is.

      And you’re not fussy; you’re Discriminating! I like discriminating viewers (and detailed feedback). Thanks!

  14. Hey Ricky! Enjoyed seeing you at Burbank, as always. And you are an evil genius–wave this slick little premise at a bunch of science-fiction-story starved fans at a con and INVITE them to write fanfic!

    Whee!

    Looking forward to reading the back stories you have developed and seeing how this can lead onward.

    My only complaint? Too short. I want MORE!

  15. Hey Ricky!
    Fusion is killer. After I saw it at Burbank I went outside, got on the phone and told one of my friends to look it up. I am telling everyone I know to check it out, and I hope they are.
    This is much more exciting to watch than Fringe, in my opinion.
    I look forward to seeing more.

  16. Saw this in Burbank. Your lead actors seemed overwhelmed by everyone’s positive reaction to this great teaser.It was humbling and inspiring. I look forward to seeing more. Congrats!

    -Christos

    1. I think they were a bit overwhelmed. Con virgins. Even though I’d told them what a warm, welcoming bunch Scapers are, they really didn’t know what to expect — and they had a blast. Thanks to all fans for making them feel at home.

  17. Well, you had me with the drama. I’ve only seen the clip once at Burbank and have not studied it online here (yet), so this is a delayed first impression. The story is compelling and left me wanting more. Some extra-ordinary things happen, and I’m not sure what I saw the characters do or become or experience. That would become clear through several episodes, so seems about right for a short introduction. The story is well written and acted. I like the give and take between the two leads. My only complaint is that the purse drop seemed poorly displayed and seemed TOO deliberate. It might have looked better from the villian’s point of view.

    In summary, I’m interested and curious.

    Thanks for sharing,
    Rob/Got Leviathan

  18. This was a very intriguing premise that made me want to find out more. I’m not a sci-fi fan, but I am a horror fan, and this combined elements of both and reminded me, in that way, of the likes of the excellent ‘Millennium’.
    Aside from The Shield, I do not watch a single TV show currently – but this has the makings of something quite refreshing. It almost felt like a graphic novel on screen, with the way the scenes are shot.

    I hope we will be able to see this in the UK

    Thanks,
    Em

    1. Someone who travels halfway round the globe, repeatedly, to attend conventions for a sci-fi show is NOT a sci-fi fan? …Then again, mayhaps you think of Farscape as more horror than sci-fi, which is an entirely defensible position, so never mind. (Me, I always maintained that Farscape was the show that took the science OUT of science fiction, but that’s another story.) Fusion was designed to be a hybrid (that’s the more genteel term) of a whole lotta genres… something to offend everybody.

      Can’t imagine why you Wouldn’t be able to see this in the UK. I would hope it can be seen by viewers of all stripe, where e’er they may reside. Even France.

      (And thanks again for the artwork. I’m looking at it Right Now.)

      1. You are too kind xx

        LOL I guess the lack of science in Farscape drew me to it… but the wit, the ballsy tackling of plots, the colours and the Aussiness were the winners for me 😉 Oh, and the cod piece. Gotta love a guy in a cod piece.

        1. I Totally Agree (well, except perhaps for the codpiece). Sometime soon on my Other blog, I’ll pontificate about the importance and relevance of Science in Science Fiction TV (as in, ‘not so much’)…

  19. Can’t beat Brian Trenchard-Smith for getting 10bucks on the screen for every $1 in the budget – great look, almost non-stop action – and a creepy Dennis Pratt cameo – what more does anyone want!

    When’s episode 2 coming??

    1. Indeed, that’s our Brian, working miracles yet again with little time and less money. Dennis Pratt was an unexpected (well, by Me, anyway) bonus: an utterly delightful man and a charmingly ghoulish character.

      As for Ep 2, I’m thinking we’ll just skip it and go straight to Ep 3. Nothing interesting ever happens in Ep 2s anyway…

  20. His name was ROCK O’BANNON, what a nice nod to ROCKNEE O from farscape- pretty cool, since that is one of my favorite sci-fi shows. This webisode wes great- great sci-fi, I want more! How about a known name in it – like Ben Browder -even though the actors you used were wonderful. Guess I miss seeing him on T.V. When will we see this on tv? Very soon I hope- We need MORE GOOD sci-fi. Keep making them!! Sheryl

    1. Actually his name is Rocco Banyan, which is really nothing like that Farscape guy’s name, and that’s what I’m going to tell his lawyers.

      (Actually actually, Rock was flattered. But his lawyers were not pleased at all; I have no idea why. He’s with the firm of Stroud, Stroud, Stroud, Stroud, and McCormick.)

      (Okay, I made the lawyer part up.)

      (And your name is Sheryl? That’s also pretty cool, as Cheryl is one of my favorite wives.)

      Thanks for the kind words!

  21. A romance-monster-horror-mystery-one-liner-action flick wrapped together like an egg-roll in a serial format. Can’t get enough, let it roll!

    Liked the pacing. Not too much info up front, but just enough tidbits dropped in to make me go hmmmmm. I was sure I wasn’t going to get roped in, but dag-nab-it I got hooked.

    Thanks and more please.

  22. I really enjoyed this, and honestly I liked the purse drop, it was like a second thought, it seemed like she had to think about it before she did it. The only thing that bothered me was when the bad guy was trying to kill the girl, it was taking him too long, with the display of strength between the two “weird eye guys”, he should have had her neck snapped in a secondish. Other than that, I enjoyed watching it, thanks for sharing.

    1. Oh, no question, Stroud could’ve killed Jasmine instantly, just like he could’ve killed Angela Hailey instantly — but no, the big sadistic lug just had to draw it out and enjoy it. I expect he’s learned his lesson, though, and won’t hesitate if and when he gets a rematch. Thanks for commenting!

    1. Glad you liked it! Yeah, I’ve been a fan of Jasmine ever since Julianna brought her to life. Even at the very first script read-through, Julianna gave Jasmine the cocky confidence to stand up to Chris’s equally attitudinal Rocco… and chemistry ensued.

      (See a pic from that first read-through on the About Fusion page, where your Chapter 2 question is answered as well.)

    1. Would I Mind? I would be Delighted!

      Just checked out your station Studio 24 and lo and behold, what’s (DJ Osiris) playing but a ‘double shot’ of Al DiMeola! Instant “add station to favorites”!

      (By the way, the site suggests Winamp or Media Player, but it plays just fine in my simple freeware player of choice — Screamer Radio — using the Winamp link.)

      Well, if Fusion is your kind of show, I’m curious to hear what your kind of music is (and, natch, there’s an obvious answer)…

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